Luminous (Exodus 34:29-35)
As I’ve mentioned before, my first real memory—the first I’m certain is mine—is of a nighttime tornado coming through our subdivision just before I turned 4. I don’t really remember the storm itself or Mom and Dad’s running to a neighbor’s basement with their two kids in tow. I vividly recall two things: One: My dad’s leaving us in the neighbor’s basement so he could help look for survivors; and Two: The darkness.
After the tornado came through, the power was out and everything was pitch dark. Mom, Aaron, and I were crammed into a basement with our neighbors, and I was scared. I remember a knock at the door and someone answering that knock. There stood someone in a yellow slicker and cowboy hat—I’m assuming it was someone in law enforcement—holding a bright flashlight that he shined all through that little basement to make sure everyone was okay.
As an adult, I love to sleep in a dark room—the darker, the better. However, as a kid, I was absolutely terrified of the dark. For many years, every single night, I made sure that I had a nightlight. And looking back, I’m confident it had to do with that dark night in 1977.
What about you? How many of you were afraid of the dark when you were little? Did any of you have children who were terrified of the dark; did you, therefore, invest in a good nightlight? I’m sure you’re not afraid of the dark now, but how many of you use your phone’s flashlight when it’s starting to get dark out? Do any of you make sure your porch light is on if you’re going to get home after dark? How many of you use the high beams on your car when possible so that you can see more easily?
I have no way of knowing whether or not Moses ever feared the dark, but I do know that his face would have made quite the night light. Moses spent forty days and forty nights with the Lord on Mt. Sinai (Ex 34:28). Moses descended the mountain to give the people the commands God had given him, and “the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Ex 34:29).
This morning let’s learn a simple lesson: “People can tell if you’ve been with God.” The people of Israel could look at Moses and tell that he had been with God. People can likewise look at you and tell whether or not you have been with God. Let’s explore Moses’ example:
Scripture (Exodus 34:29-35)
verse 29:
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he had two tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments. He had spent 40 days and 40 nights communing with God. During those 40 days, Moses asked to see God’s glory (Ex 33:18). God did not permit Moses to see his face, for no one can see God and live (Ex 33:20); however, God covered Moses with his hand in the cleft of a rock, passed in front of him, and withdrew his hand so Moses could see God’s back (Ex 33:21-23).
Because Moses had communed so intimately with God, “the skin of his face shone.” The Hebrew is rather difficult to translate; the most basic meaning of this verse is “the skin of his face had horns.” In fact, Michelangelo presented Moses with horns coming out of his head. Horns were a symbol of the divine in the Mesopotamian world of Moses’ day, so the idea that Moses had horns coming out of his head from talking with God isn’t as far-fetched as it might first seem. Paul mentioned this episode in 2 Corinthians, but he simply said “that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory” (2 Cor 3:7), and that could mean several things.
Perhaps we’re talking about beams—horns—of light which protruded from Moses’ face. While the Hebrew isn’t as clear as we might like, it’s clear that Moses’ face was different because he had been with God.
verses 30-33:
Aaron and the rest of the Israelites were afraid to come near Moses; notice that verse 31 says that “Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him.” Apparently, Moses scared the people half to death, and they ran away from him.
Moses spoke to the people as the Lord had commanded him; after he had spoken to the people, Moses put a veil on his face to cover up his horns or glow or whatever.
verses 34-35:
Moses removed the veil when he went in to speak to the Lord; however, he needed a veil to cover his face when he spoke to the people.
Application
“People can tell if you’ve been with God.” Not a single Israelite needed to ask if Moses had been with God; simply by looking at his face, the people knew Moses had been talking with God.
What do people see when they look at you? No, your face isn’t going to shine if you’ve been spending time with God. However, you’ll have a different attitude . . . you’ll treat people differently . . . you’ll look differently at life . . . you’ll have a joy no one can take away.
How can you live so that people can see that you’ve been with God?
One: You must Speak.
The skin of Moses’ “face shone because he had been talking with God” (Ex 34:29). You must Speak with God.
Think about how much time Jesus spent speaking with his Father. “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mk 1:35). “He would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Lk 5:16).
If Jesus, God in the flesh, needed to Speak often with his Father, how can you think you don’t need to spend time in prayer? “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph 6:18). Speak often with your Father. How much do you Speak to him?
Two: You must Shine.
“Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him” (Ex 34:30). You can certainly say that Moses had a Shine to him; Aaron and all the people of Israel noticed a difference between Moses and everyone else.
People must be able to see a difference between you and everyone else; you must Shine. You Shine by living differently from everyone else around you. Notice how Jesus put it in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:14-16).
Your good works aren’t to Shine for your own self-aggrandizement; rather, you’re to Shine and point people to God. What good works are you doing that point people to God? When people see what you do, do they see God living in you? Just how much do you Shine?
Three: You must Share.
“Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And . . . he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded” (Ex 34:34). After Moses had been with God, he would come out and Share with the Israelites what God had revealed to him.
If you’re different because you’ve been with God, you desire to Share God’s will with others. Jesus expects you to do that: “Go . . . and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt 28:19-20). Your friends, family, and coworkers are part of “all nations.” Making disciples was Paul’s aim: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28).
With whom will you Share the Lord? Will you invite a coworker to come worship God alongside you? Will you invite a family member to sit down with you and study Scripture? Will you give a friend a tract on an area where he has questions? How will you Share the Lord?
Conclusion
Imagine for just a moment that you’re coming down Mt. Sinai. How bright would your face be? Do you need to come this morning and claim a bright face so that people can tell you’ve been with God?
This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.